Refrigeration apparatus with internal heat exchanger for heat exchange

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigeration apparatus capable of minimizing the pressure loss of a refrigerant circulated through an internal heat exchanger and capable of improving a cooling capability. A refrigeration apparatus in which a compressor, a radiator, an electronic expansion valve and an evaporator are successively annularly connected to one another to constitute a refrigerant circuit includes a refrigerator unit provided with the compressor and the radiator, and a cooling unit provided with the electronic expansion valve and the evaporator, the refrigerator unit is connected to one or a plurality of cooling units via a communication pipe to constitute the refrigerant cycle, an internal heat exchanger which performs heat exchange between a refrigerant discharged from the radiator and a refrigerant discharged from the evaporator is constituted of a double tube, and the internal heat exchanger is provided in the cooling unit.

1. A refrigeration apparatus in which a compressor, a radiator, a pressure reducing unit and an evaporator are successively annularly connected to one another to constitute a refrigerant circuit, the refrigeration apparatus comprising:
 a refrigerator unit provided with at least a compressor and a radiator; 
 one or a plurality of cooling units, each provided with at least a pressure reducing unit and an evaporator; 
 an internal heat exchanger unit provided with a plurality of internal heat exchangers each constituted of a double tube and configured to perform heat exchange between a refrigerant discharged from the radiator and a refrigerant discharged from the evaporator, wherein the double tube constituting the internal heat exchanger is constituted of an inner tube and an outer tube, a high pressure side flow path through which the refrigerant from the radiator flows is constituted in the inner tube, and a low pressure side flow path through which the refrigerant from the evaporator flows is constituted between the inner tube and the outer tube; 
 branch pipes connecting in parallel the low pressure side flow paths of the internal heat exchangers; and 
 branch pipes connecting in parallel the high pressure side flow paths of the internal heat exchangers; 
 the refrigerator unit being connected to each cooling unit via a communication pipe to constitute the refrigerant cycle, 
 wherein the internal heat exchanger unit is provided in the communication pipe, and 
 wherein the branch pipes are structured so that the number of low pressure side flow paths and high pressure side flow paths in the apparatus can be changed, such that the number of the internal heat exchangers to be connected to the communication pipe can be changed in accordance with the number of the cooling units connected to the refrigerator unit via the pipes, and the thermal load due to a use environment. 
 
     
     
       2. The refrigeration apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant. 
     
     
       3. The refrigeration apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the use environment is the set temperature.